Gender Health Gap
Max Liebl
The gender health gap between men and women is getting increasingly wider. It is commonly known that men have a lower life expectancy than women, but for what reason? The life expectancy for men is only getting shorter as time goes on and it is mainly due to men choosing to not be as accepting of healthcare. There is a tacit code amongst men to always be the tough guy or as the saying goes, “Man up”, however this is one of the main causes for the increasing gender health gap. Men can mitigate this by starting to take better care of themselves and going to get medical care when needed. There is no second chance in life and it is imperative that all humans take better care of themselves because at the end of the day, no one else will.
Women have historically always been known to be the “caregivers” when it comes to healthcare. They are more likely to schedule appointments for their male counterparts as well as seek medical care when necessary. Men and boys from a young age are told to always be the tough guy and show no sign of weakness even if that means going to a doctor when something is seriously wrong. The culture of masculinity especially in the United States has created a stigma around receiving care when needed in an attempt to prove that one guy is more tough than the other. While there may be more issues regarding healthcare such as financial and insurance, men typically work more dangerous jobs and behave more erratically than women. If a man working a factory job is injured and unable to perform his duties that could mean potential for being laid off and then the man has no income which could be detrimental especially if that man has a family who relies on his salary. For that reason and many others, men would rather opt for toughing it out rather than accept potential for loss of a job or otherwise.
It is imperative for the sake of the gender health gap and for increasing longevity that the culture of masculinity be pushed to the side. Men need to start taking better care of themselves by accepting that they are not invincible and accept care when needed. Proper prevention techniques for diseases, accidents and the like as well as noticing the early warning signs and going to get regular check-ups can mean narrowing the gender health gap and increasing longevity for men.